Ms Kate Mitchell:

Our priorities are very much about inclusion of the socioeconomic ground, recognising the increased risk to women of poverty and other socioeconomic inequalities. For example, lone parents, the majority of whom are women, are at a substantially increased risk of poverty. There needs to be a recognition of the risk to women. Also important is the inclusion of the gender ground with the focus on intersectionality, with the recognition that while women will experience gender inequality, many of them will experience multiple forms of inequality and discrimination. We need to see gender being recognised across all grounds.

I want to echo the points made about the backsliding on equality, gender equality and women's rights. We have seen the publication of CEDAW's concluding observations yesterday, following the State's review last month.

There needs to be a very firm commitment by the State on implementation of those recommendations but also on the publication of the next national strategy for women and girls. That really does provide an opportunity to address the many inequalities that women, and particularly marginalised groups of women such as migrant, disabled and Traveller and Roma women, face. It provides opportunities to implement gender mainstreaming approaches across all legislation, all polities and all budgetary processes to ensure the particular needs of women, and all their diversity, are recognised and responded to.